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Swem Family History

Swem Surname Meaning

Americanized form of German Schwemm a topographic name from Middle High German swem(me) denoting a deep ford where horses had to swim across.

From the Middle High German verb swemmen, it is the causative of swimmen ‘to float or swim’.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Swem family from?

You can see how Swem families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Swem family name was found in the USA, the UK, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Swem families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 10 Swem families living in Cheshire. This was about 45% of all the recorded Swem's in United Kingdom. Cheshire had the highest population of Swem families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Swem surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Swem ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Teacher were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Swem. 19% of Swem men worked as a Laborer and 43% of Swem women worked as a Teacher. Some less common occupations for Americans named Swem were Salesman and Opeartor.

View Census Data for Swem | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

United States shown, England data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Laborer
    19%
  • Lineman
    10%
  • Painter
    10%
  • Salesman
    10%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Teacher
    43%
  • Housewife
    29%
  • Opeartor
    29%

What Swem family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 2,000 census records available for the last name Swem. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Swem census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Swem

Passenger Lists

There are 152 immigration records available for the last name Swem. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Swem immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 448 military records available for the last name Swem. For the veterans among your Swem ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Swem military records

You've only scratched the surface of Swem family history

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What is the average Swem lifespan?

Between 1962 and 2004, in the United States, Swem life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1997, and highest in 1978. The average life expectancy for Swem in 1962 was 55, and 81 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Swem

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Swem ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Swem family tree

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